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May 4

Wine Spectator

Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour Hits the City by the Bay

Last week, Wine Spectator’s Grand Tour event made a stop here in the oddly sunny San Francisco and brought with them over 200 of the world’s greatest wines.  And with only three hours to taste as many of them as we could, this became the ultimate power hour of fine wine.  But unlike my days in college, shotgunning beer cans was replaced by vigorous note-taking and frequent visits to the spittoon.  But as I’d love to share my thoughts on all of these breathtaking wines, I’ll spare you the lengthy laundry list and present the six that I truly felt deserved a shout-out.  And here they are!

 

Tasteful Tannins Krug

 

 

NV Krug Brut Champagne Grande Cuvée

Like a wet dog rock climbing, this cuvee exemplifies its clear-cut minerality adjacent to apparent, however pleasant, musky elements. Featherlike in weight while sturdy in character, its zesty acidity is harmonized by frothy beads and notes of fresh lemon juice and unripe pear that finish off with a touch of saline.

 

 

 

Tasteful Tannins Sigalas Assyrtiko2012 Domaine Sigalas Assyrtiko, Santorini

As tranquil as hanging freshly cleaned linens over a garden on the island of Santorini, this wine displays tantalizing floral aromas of white roses, gardenias, lilacs, and dried lavender. Utterly refreshing with acidity and elegant in weight, the palate is further graced by hints of white peach, snap peas, volcanic mineral spice, and an ambiance of the island’s salty air.

 

 

 

2010 MacPhail Pratt Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma CoastTasteful Tannins MacPhail

This coastal pinot is simply mouthwatering and savory like a plate of prosciutto with a side of succulent raspberry and red cherry.  Luminous acidity alongside a sleek and sophisticated tannic structure, the dusty rusticity is what gives this handsome wine its masculine edge.  Sort of like when Prince Carl Philip of Sweden allows his beard to grow a bit. Yup, mouthwatering.

 

 

 

Pontet-Canet2010 Château Pontet-Canet

Like a sexy Johnny Depp wearing a bit of eyeliner, this wine’s slightly brawny structure yet sensual texture are well-expressed with nuances of roasted meat, dried sage and thyme.  Its feminism reciprocates with silky smooth tannin and sassy acidity dolled up with notes of black raspberry, mulberry, bay laurel, and hints of oak spice to finish it off.  And just as with Johnny, that’s certainly something to feast on.

Tasteful Tannins Amarone

 

 

 

2008 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

A sunbathed garden with aromas of sultana, dried blackcurrant, rose, lavender, fennel, and a trickle of smoke.  Voluptuous in body with its beautifully ripe and velvety tannin, the palate is upheld with its enduring acidity and notes of savory spices over a layer of candied fruit and black tea on the finish.

 

 

 

Tasteful Tannins Chateau Suduiraut2005 Château Suduiraut, Sauternes

Illustrating just how wonderful a hint of VA can be, this luscious masterpiece flaunts a fruit medley of ripe peach, dried apricot, dried fig, sweet mango, and tangy marmalade.  Rich and creamy texture that’s lifted by its zippy acidity, the palate indulges in tangerine peel, cinnamon, dried sage, and a long alluring finish of fresh honey.

 

 

 

-Juju

Apr 16

Tannat
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Tannat: A Friend with Healthy Benefits

Now here is a grape you may have never encountered before.  But don ’t worry, it’s not because you’ve been living under a rock.  Because these wines are so far under the radar, very few of you may be aware of what makes this grape so special.  But first, we’ll start off with the fact that in one way or another we’ve all been told that wine contains certain elements that have been found to benefit our health.  Well, believe it or not, the theories behind this were not just created as propaganda to influence people to drink more wine.  Not only has semi-extensive research been conducted for the past several years, it’s been said that wine was historically used for medicinal purposes as far back as 2,200 BC.

 

Now before transforming into mad scientist mode, let’s introduce you to this mystery varietal.  Tannat is a dark-skinned grape that produces notoriously tannic wines and tends to unveil its rural attributes more often than not. Originating from the Basque region of South West France and eventually becoming the signature wine for the village of Madiran, Tannat is produced as both a varietal wine and as an addition to blends.  Today, Tannat is planted throughout regions of the New World and has become particularly established in the Latin country of Uruguay.

Interestingly enough, despite the usual Old World versus New World wine assumption, the irony is that because Tannat vines were brought to the New World in the 19th century pre-phylloxera in Europe, the older vines found in Uruguay are descendents of the originals while Madiran was one of many appellations to be uprooted and replanted with American rootstocks.  The end result is that Uruguayan Tannat tends to have more acidity, refined tannin, and elegant blackberry fruit than its Old World cousin in Madiran.  That being said, the quality of New World Tannat has increased with each vintage while sadly the wines of Madiran have gradually become more and more of a distant memory from the past.

And now for the geeky part…Throughout the years, experts all over the world have conducted an abundance of studies on red grapes and found that they contain polyphenols, such as resveratrol, which are anti-oxidizing chemicals that are believed to be highly beneficial for blood vessels and directly contribute to longer life spans.  Amongst the most noteworthy research on the subject has been that of cardiovascular expert Roger Corder of the William Harvey Research Institute in London.  According to Corder, procyanidin is the most biologically active of all polyphenols and is found in thick-skinned grapes that have a high skin-to-pulp ratio.  Tannat just so happens to have the highest ratio of skin to pulp, bestowing the grape with a considerable amount of procyanidins and making it one of the most beneficial wines you could drink.  Any proof to this theory?  As a matter of fact, further studies have shown that regions with a prevalent consumption of Tannat have been found to have noticeably higher life expectancy rates.

But whether you are a believer or find that you don’t really buy all of this wine and health jargon, one thing can be taken from this.  Whether it’s based on the interest of science or just the sheer happiness of having these delicious wines, drinking Tannat WILL make you live longer.  Well, I guess there’s really only one way to test out this theory.  So drink up and cheers to your health!

-Juju

Mar 14

Tasteful Tannins Coutet Opalie

Bordeaux 2010 and a Sneak Peak at Château Coutet’s Brand New Dry White Wine “Opalie”

A tremendous way to kick-start the year was the annual Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux tasting here in San Francisco featuring the Grand Cru Classe wines of Bordeaux’s critically acclaimed 2010 vintage.  With the very best of Bordeaux all in one room, one phrase could describe the event….A mind-blowing yet brilliant clusterf**k.  Pardon my French, but hey, it was a Bordeaux tasting event after all.  But curse words aside, this tasting was an amazing intro to what critics are claiming to be a marvelous vintage.   Below are my favorites from the event.  But before I dive into those, earlier that week I also had the pleasure of meeting with Aline Baly of the legendary Château Coutet to have a taste of their newly launched dry white wine called Opalie.  Here were my thoughts!

Opalie de Château Coutet 2010  -  Barsac

A 50/50 ratio of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, this is quite a complex and powerful little dry white that maintains its light body and refreshing acidity.  Immediately on the nose and palate is a burst of sheer minerality bolstered by hints of saline that quickly leads into notes of sweet citrus, green peppers, and a lengthy finish of wild grasses and white pepper.  A very exciting inaugural vintage of Opalie for the folks at Coutet!

 
­Bordeaux 2010

 

Château Pape Clément  -  Pessac-Léognan

Sophisticatedly dry with its talcum powdery tannin and vivacious acidity zipping through notes of black cherry, mulberry, espresso beans, savory spices, cinnamon and a distinct earthy finish reconfirming the firm structure of the wine.

 

Bordeaux Lynch-Moussas

Château Lynch-Moussas  -  Pauillac

Definitely the rustic renegade of the group with its lanolin and wet wool barnyard aromas followed by earthy herbal hints of menthol, ginseng, and dill that are all brought back to grace with a bit of luscious blackcurrant, fine-grained tannin, and lively acidity.

 

 

Bordeaux Branaire-Ducru

Château Branaire-Ducru  -  Saint Julien

Elegantly tranquil yet animated with its aromas of lush blackberries and violets, lenient oak influences, and sinuous tannins that are firmed up by the wine’s vibrant acidity, dried herbal notes, and a long resilient finish.

 

 

Bordeaux la Gaffeliere

Château La Gaffelière  -   Saint-Émilion

Strikingly mineral driven with graphite qualities yet slightly more humble in tannin and acidity, the wine is upheld by its stunning black fruits, black pepper, sweet spices, and gorgeous floral notes expressing a finish of yellow roses in full bloom.

 

Bordeaux Rauzan-Segla

 

Château Rauzan-Ségla  -  Margaux 

And English garden of lilac, lavender, rose, and dried sage that is laced with succulent black plums and mulberry fruit; held together with its velvety tannin, brilliant acid, and a nice long finish of blossoming vanilla orchid.

 

 

-Juju

Jan 23

Tasteful Tannins Dosage

To Dosage or Not to Dosage?

So just what in the hell is dosage?  Technically speaking, it’s the final addition to sparkling wine that’s composed of a mixture of cane sugar syrup and wine – thus being the ultimate deciding factor in the sweetness level of the finished wine.  Dosage, or liqueur d’expédition, is added to the wine after the bottle has been riddled of its sediment and disgorged, and topping off the amount that was removed.  Sounds nerdy, but why is this so important?  Though that may seem like a rather technical and straightforward process, dosage has yet another highly crucial part in the production of Champagne and sparkling wines.

 

On its own, the wine that’s used in the production of sparkling wine is uber acidic on the palate.  By adding the dosage, producers are able to steer the wine’s sweetness or merely de-acidify the wine to give it much more cuddly qualities.  You will see sparkling wines without dosage added classified as Brut Nature, Brut Zero, Ultra Brut, or Zero Dosage.  Progressively being referred to as “Naked Champagne”, these wine nudists are typically left with only 0-2 grams of residual sugar per liter and result in wines that are bone dry to the touch.  Oh s#@%, the wine turned out too dry… What do we do now?  Well, at this point producers do have the option to save the day by substituting the dosage with some extra bottle aging or slapping on some extended autolysis, aka leaving ‘em on that dead yeast.

These days, more and more Champagne producers are leaning towards dry and are minimizing the amount of dosage used in their production.  In fact, some have even chosen to eliminate dosage all together, resulting in a bunch of naked sparkling wines running all over the place.  The major reasoning behind it is that producers are looking to create livelier wines with clarity, expressions of fruit flavors, and are looking to accentuate the region’s chalky minerality.

But really, everyone’s palate has its own preference.   Some may favor these drier styled sparkling wines with no dosage at all, while others do and probably always will embrace the sweet influence of dosage on their sparkling wines.  Personally, I see no reason why not to simply adore both styles.

A different day, a different dosage.  Right?  :)

 

 

-Juju

Jan 22

Tasteful Tannins header
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New Contributing Wine Writer for Connoisseur Magazine and 2paragraphs

Finishing off 2012 and moving forward into 2013, I am thrilled to have started working with the masterminds behind both Connoisseur Magazine and 2paragraphs.  These publications are incredibly versatile and feature everything from wine, luxury, gastronomy, art, and even a little bit of politics thrown in the mix.  Both are very well worth following as they are filled with loads of intriguing content contributed from writers all over the world.  Click to check out Connoisseur Magazine   and 2paragraphs . I am looking forward to an exciting year of writing about what I love most in this world!

 

Recent Articles:

The Adventurous Sonoma Coast       -       Connoisseur Magazine

Burgundy – A Story of Fraternal Twins        –        2paragraphs

Cristal Champagne: Holiday Cheer and a Hip-Hop Breakup        –        2paragraphs

“Young at Heart” – A Tale of an Old Barolo        –        2paragraphs

The Grand Wines of Bordeaux        –        2paragraphs

 

-Juju

Dec 30

Photo Credit: Teerapun on freedigitalphotos.net
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2013 New Year’s Wine Resolutions

With just a couple of days left in 2012, I figured this was the perfect time to reflect on this past year and sort out my hopes and goals for 2013.  Alongside the typical resolutions that fall between the lines of keeping a healthy figure, better money management, allowing more personal time for myself, and of course lots of traveling, I find it inappropriate to exclude my wine drinking resolutions.  In an industry ruled by an arsenal of heavy hitters like Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Brunello, etc, it can be difficult at times to leave enough room on your palate for many of the other fascinating and complex wines that this world has to offer.  Looking over a year’s worth of scattered wine notes, I came to the conclusion of a few types of wine I find necessary for me to make sure I take the time to taste more frequently.  Here they are as part of my New Year’s resolution along with a delicious example that I did actually manage to taste this year.

 

Non-Champagne Sparkling WinesTasteful Tannins Schloss Gobelsburg

The word “Champagne” and the concept of sparkling wine have gone together like peanut butter and jelly for so long now that many of us seem to forget one thing…peanut butter is also great with bananas as well. In this day and age, Champagne is not the only region utilizing the traditional method of high quality production; several Old World and New World regions are now using this method, too.  With some of these including Crémant de Bourgogne, Cava, certain Prosecco from Valdobbiadene DOCG, and even the California-based producer Korbel, it’s important to notice the plethora of interesting sparkling wines that can also be enjoyed for their superb quality.  Now realistically, my love affair with grower Champagne will likely never be compromised, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t step out of the Champagne box every so often to taste others that have taken a similar path.

Schloss Gobelsburg Brut Reserve NV –  Niederösterreich, Austria

An enticing blend of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Pinot Noir, this charming sparkling wine has electrifying acidity that promenades with its ultra-smooth bubbles.  As in a delectable summer salad, notes of green apple, lime, jasmine, and candied walnuts played on the palate and were followed by a toasted nutty finish.

 

Cornas, Nothern Rhone, France

As one of Rhone’s smallest appellations and its Celtic translation meaning ‘burnt earth’, Cornas is composed of sun-kissed amphitheater shaped vineyards planted with 100% Syrah grapes.  Though not yet as refined as the neighboring Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage, this diamond in the rough produces full bodied wines with firm tannin structure and incredible aging potential.  On an even better note, the price point for these little jewels tends to be slightly more modest than some of the other regal reds of northern Rhone.

Tasteful Tannins Domaine Auguste Clape CornasDomaine Auguste Clape Cornas 2006  – Cornas, Northern Rhone, France

A wine that is both powerful with a voluptuous body yet refreshingly smooth with its brisk acidity and velvety tannin.  Expressing its full complexity in a trifecta of herbal, savory, and bit of fruity zest; notes of black plum, dried citrus peel, dill, black olives, violet, wet soil, savory spice, and meatiness were all wonderfully culminated with a Puerh tea-like finish.

 

Sherry

Poor, poor Sherry…so underappreciated, so overlooked.  Produced in such a wide range of styles and serving so many different purposes, I cringe at the fact that not only does much of the world seem to shun these, but I myself don’t show nearly enough appreciation that Sherry rightfully deserves.  From the pale, dry, crisp, and tangy Fino Sherry; to the deep, sweet, and nutty Oloroso Sherry; and Amontillado serving as the middleman, Sherry can find its way to being a brilliant supplement to nearly any scenario.  Now it’s just a matter of keeping this in mind the next time you plan a dinner party or order wine at a restaurant.

Tasteful Tannins Lustau East India Solera Sherry

Lustau East India Solera Sherry – Jerez, Spain

From an assortment of soleras ranging between 15-50 years of age, this Sherry is composed of an older Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez that were both aged separately then later blended together.  Displaying a beautiful deep bronze color, this wine has a seductive lusciousness that is perfectly balanced out by the uplifting acidity.  Wonderfully complex on both the nose and palate, it carries notes of raisin, dried red currant and fig, and then unfolds into caramel pecans, cocoa, and a nice long nutty finish of toasted almonds and salted walnuts.

 

-Juju

 

Fireworks image provided by Teerapun on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Nov 30

Tasteful Tannins

Holiday Cheer and an Excellent Year

Tis the season for sharing, celebrating, reflecting, and of course, drinking great wine.  With Thanksgiving swiftly passing us by so soon and Christmas shortly approaching, I thought I’d dedicate a simple posting on a few of my favorite wines that I am thankful for having tasted lately.  As a Christmas baby and proud child of 1985, I find it only natural that I show some seasonal cheer for such a joyous set of holidays and an absolutely superb vintage.  Oh, and ’85 was a great year for wine as well!

;)

Drink well and be merry everyone!

 

Touchais Coteaux du Layon 1985

Reminding me of my spiritual journeys to Buddhist monastaries, this divinely amber colored wine smells of ripe persimmon, kumpquat, bitter mandarin, sage, and sweet ginger.  Its luscious heart is still beating with glistening acidity as it further inspires with its notes of masala spice and a tranquil vanilla bean finish.  This extraordinary wine puts me at instant inner peace.

 

1985 Cavalotto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis 

Like a male ballerina leaping across a stage, this deep tawny colored wine dances to the bold scents of dried raisin, prune, blood orange peel, fennel, cumin, and turmeric.  At maturity yet still laced with the youthful tannin and acidity of a red apple peel, this Barolo continues to twirl onto the palate with black cherry, red rose water, truffle, cocoa beans, and tar.

 


1985 Corton Charlemagne Tollot-Beaut & Fils

As scrumdiddlyumptious as a holiday gift basket full of sweet and savory goodies, this delightfully golden wine unravels aromas of yellow apple, pear, dried pineapple, pecan pie, and toasted peanut brittle.  This wine comes wrapped up with a voluptuous body and shimmering acidity along with a spicy white pepper finish.

 

1985 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port

Rustic as if concocted during the days of Prohibition, this deep ruby wine lets out aromas of dried black currant, cloves, sweet chili pepper, and aniseed.  Still incredibly tannic yet in a smooth expression, this wine shows amazing youthfulness and further engages the palate with its notes of dried roses, nutmeg, and spicy cola on the finish.

 

-Juju

Nov 1

Tasteful Tannins Burgundy Twins

Burgundy – A Story of Fraternal Twins

Burgundy can be thought of as a well-bred family of children; each child possessing different appearances, different styles, and different behaviors. Within this regal clan is an undoubtedly salient set of fraternal twins, both dashing in looks and rivaling only each other in superior quality, none other than the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. These regions represent the teenage dream of being that set of all-star athlete fraternal twins that can’t help but excel in just about everything. Every girl wants to date them. Every guy wants to be them. But just like any fraternal twins, even the nearly flawless ones, alongside the uncanny similarities come distinct differences. James Beard award-winning author Jordan Mackay paid another visit to the San Francisco Wine Center to guide a class full of students who caught the Burgundy bug and help them uncover the deep side of Côte de Nuits. Feasting their eyes on the impeccable wine list, the class fervently tasted a few Premier Cru wines followed by an impressive lineup of delightful Grand Cru wines from Clos Vougeot and plenty of Charmes Chambertin. The students were more than pleased to end the class with a glass of 1985 Camus Pere & Fils Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru. Here is a taste of what we learned…

Although both regions produce the two key Burgundy grape varietals, many refer to the Côte de Nuits as the ‘Holy land of Pinot Noir’ while Côte de Beaune is dubbed as the ‘King of Chardonnay’. Having been granted 24 of the 33 Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy, Côte de Nuits is highly dominated by Pinot Noir at about 95%. It is a well-known fact that Pinot Noir from this region tends to be unmistakably deeper colored, heftier, and firmer than those of Côte de Beaune. But why is that? Well to be fair, attempting to fully comprehend the mosaic of soils that underlie Côte de Nuits, or Burgundy in general for that matter, is not for the geologically challenged. But looking at the overall picture it can be noted that the region’s soils are composed of a limestone base topped with mixtures of chalk, marl and red clay with rich alluvial soils found in the lower altitudes. The Côte de Nuits bears a continental climate with little to no influences from the Atlantic; receiving long cool winters, short warm summers, and an unfortunate tendency for hail storms. Apart from general climatic similarities, this region conspicuously differs from the wet and windier conditions of Côte de Beaune. Another perceivable difference between the regions is the much narrower size and sharply sloped terrain of Côte de Nuits in contrast to the soft rolling hills of Côte de Beaune. All aspects combined, Côte de Nuits ends up producing significantly smaller amounts of wine than Côte de Beaune. Now, that sure was a mouthful of comparing and contrasting. But as mentioned earlier, life is such for such high-profile fraternal twins. The bottom line, could you resist dating either? If you even tried to answer with a ‘yes’, Burgundy drinkers would argue otherwise.

-Juju

As published on 2paragraphs.com 

Oct 23

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Grower Champagne Anyone?

Last Monday happened to be one my favorite days of the year.  Why, you ask?  Well, it just so happened to be the annual Grower-Producer Champagne event from Terry Theise and WineWise here in San Francisco.  I can’t think of a better Monday than showing up to an incredible tasting of many of Champagne’s very best grower-producers.  Can you?

And just as expected, I was more than thrilled with this year’s lineup.   But what was most surprising was my consistent admiration for the 2006 vintage.  So a brief story about 2006 for those who don’t know…That year turned out to be quite a worrisome vintage with an abnormally sunny and dry June & July, a risky wet and humid August, only to return to its typically sunny September.  The conditions in 2006 were so funky that several producers worried that no vintage would be declared at all from it.  Well, from what was tasted last Monday, I can happily say that 2006 turned out to be quite a fantastic vintage after all.  But then again, if anyone was going to turn a problematic situation into an utterly splendid outcome, it’s these guys right here.

Below are some of my favorites that I tasted that day.  Cheers to all of the producers represented at the event and the impeccable reputation they continue to earn for the grower-producers of Champagne!       -Juju


Pierre Gimonnet

2006 “Paradoxe”  Brut:  And just like a paradoxe, it starts with a light burst of buttery biscuit then smoothens out to soft green apple, pear, orange blossom and encoring with a distinct kick of minerality.

2002 “Millesime de Collection” Brut:  Creamy to the touch and decorated with bruised apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, dried orange peel, and walnuts.  Showing just a slight bit of oxidation, its zesty acidity and hints of saline are keeping it a kid at heart.


Henri Goutorbe

2004 “Special Club” Brut:  Reminiscence of an autumn dessert with notes of baked cinnamon apple, pear peel, pecans, and honey.  Soft and frothy feel followed by pleasantly bitter sense of minerality paired with toasted pie crust on the finish.

 

Pierre Peters

NV “Cuvée de Rérserve” Blanc de Blancs Brut Grand Cru:   So fresh, so clean like the famous words of Andre 3000,  this was refreshingly dry with vibrant acidity and hints of chalky minerality that perfectly promenades with fresh lemon peel, green apple, honeysuckle, and grapefruit peel on the finish.

 

Marc Hébrart

2006 “Rive Gauche-Rive Droite” Grand Cru Brut:  Like an afternoon in the countryside, this wine is adorned with sweet spices, red apple, and sweet orange blossom; augmented by an absolutely stunning gust of creamy yeast that’s finished off with toasted almonds.

 
L. Aubry

2006 “Aubry de Humbert” Brut:  As if taking a stroll through an English garden, this wine is a floral bouquet of chamomile, iris, lavender, and honeysuckle.  Light and frothy with smooth bubbles, its herbal aspects are well-paired with yellow apple peel and nutty notes on the finish.

2006 “Nicolas François Aubry” Sablé Rosé:  Quite possibly my favorite rosé of the day, its succulent notes of dried red cherry and cranberry were perfectly juxtaposed by the dry, meaty, and white pepper aspects finished with hearty bread crust.  A rosé that I would love to have at Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Vilmart et Cie

2007 “Grand Cellier d’Or” Brut: Like something out of Willy Wonka, this meal in a bottle is a superb reminder of why I love Vilmart so much. It’s absolutely fantastic with characteristics of gamey meat spiced with paprika that has been prepared with a spritz of lemon, yellow apple, tropical pineapple, and finished off with honey-lemon and a vigorous flurry of minerality.

Oct 2

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¡Viva España!

When the aging game comes to play, several regions such as Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Brunello, Mosel, and especially Douro come to mind.  But what many don’t always remember to mention is that strikingly gorgeous country filled with handsome football players and absolutely mouth-watering Jamón ibérico, both of which cause me to drool just thinking about them…Yes, I’m talking about Spain.  Habitually overlooked by the ultra ageworthy wines from its surrounding neighbors France, Italy, and Portugal, Spain also deserves a spotlight for its ability to not only age, but improve in the process.  So as I sit here reminiscing about my summer nights at the Plaza Mayor in Madrid sipping on Ribera del Duero and enjoying Iberian ham with friends, I share with you just a few examples of Spanish wines that I found to be aging quite well.

Salud!

 

2005 Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva Selección Especial 

How does one not fall in love with the wines from this producer?  Like being romantically serenaded by a handsome Spaniard and his guitarro, this wine whisks you away to the melody of black raspberry, red currants, cinnamon stick, fennel, earthy tar, and a nutty finish.  And just when you think this is all too much too soon and it can’t be for real with its weighty fruit and bold tannin, his burst of acidity kicks in to let you know he’s the real thing and is here to stay for at least the next several years.

 

2001 Flor de Pingus – Ribera del Duero

Just like a female Olympic gymnast, this wine is a powerhouse of both athletic intensity and eloquent beauty with its inky opacity and aromas of black plum, black cherry, cedar, iodine, and earthy rubber.  Its full body and well integrated tannins are perfectly partnered with the wine’s subsequent acidity and flavor characteristics of black pepper, chili powder, serious minerality, and toasted hazelnut on the finish as to merely remind you of the oak used.

 

 

 

1995 Alvaro Palacios Priorat L’Ermita 

Like stepping into the rustic ambiance of an old Spanish farmhouse, this wine bears utterly intriguing aromas of blackberry, black cherry, allspice, and subtle hints of animal sweat.  Further elaborating on the rural aspects, it presents the palate with notes of nutmeg, cedar, tomato leaves, aged leather, and sour yet creamy yeast on the finish that is actually quite pleasing.  With smooth comforting tannin and some zest of acidity still lingering, this wine is drinking marvelously now and should continue onward for a bit longer.

 

-Juju

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